Betrayed
by superheroine
Summary: She had been betrayed by the two people she had never thought would betray her. And now, she just wanted to disappear. //slightly AU.//
1. a betrayal

**Betrayed** _by LittleMissHippie_

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. 

* * *

He was so very, _very _sorry.

He hadn't meant to, he swore. He didn't know what he was doing. It was crazy, _he _was crazy; insane, not in his right mind. And really it was just—

She didn't want to hear it.

* * *

"Sakura-chan, I'm _sorry!_"

The blonde male stood in front of Sakura as she sat on a bench—theterrible, goddang _bench_—while attempting to read a book. She ignored Naruto's presence and turned a page.

"You have every right to be mad… I would be mad at me, too! But _please_ Sakura, just hear me out."

Her hand paused as it started to turn another page. She closed her book and then, without looking at the guy in front of her, replied.

"I'm listening."

He fought a grin from spreading across his face. "Okay, I'm going to start at the beginning—"

"What were you doing with _her?_"

It had hurt so much, watching him… embrace her **best friend**. It was _wrong_. And she kept reminding herself and reminding herself – _wrong, wrong, WRONG _– because if she didn't… She would forgive him. Them. She _always _forgave them.

Naruto winced at the way she'd spoken. "Uh, well…"

"Yes?"

"You know I'm crazy, right? I'm crazy in love with—"

"Ino."

He shut up. He closed his eyes as he heard the _pain _oozing from that _one word_ – that one _name…_

"That's why you did it, isn't it? That's why I—"

"No, Sakura-chan, it's not like that! _It's not like that!_" She had to understand. She wasn't _understanding. _

"—caught you two_ kissing?_"

The way she said that word; the way she talked about what she'd caught them doing…

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

She smiled at him. He had to look away because her smile was so _sad _and it had so much _pain _and she was so clearly _heartbroken. _

"Apologies can only fix so much, Naruto."

* * *

There was so much _damage. _

He desperately wanted to fix it; to fix _her_. It had been an _accident _and didn't we all make mistakes?He didn't want her to fake-smile like that anymore. He didn't want to see her _pain and sadness and heartbrokenness. _He wanted her to be fine and really _smile _and be happy again.

She couldn't be fixed.

* * *

It had been days.

Ino was starting to get worried—_What if she doesn't forgive me? What if I _really _hurt her?_—but she brushed all her worries aside. After all, they were best friends. And best friends didn't just **stop **being friends because of a simple incident—because of a _boy_.

But at the back of her mind, she knew.

She remembered back when they had been younger and they had fought and fought and fought until finally they _weren't _friends anymore. She remembered that they had been rivals for years. And, above all else she remembered why.

Ino tried to deny it for as long as she could. She tried to tell herself that their friendship was strong enough. But she wasn't stupid—she _knew _that one simple cliché.

After all, didn't everyone know that history had a nasty habit of repeating itself?

* * *

When she finally accepted the truth that their friendship was in danger, Ino went on a search to find Sakura.

She asked everyone—Kakashi, Tsunade, **everyone**—over and over _Have you seen Sakura? Have you seen Sakura?_ And nobody seemed to know where she had gone.

"Ino-chan," Naruto told her after informing her that Sakura was probably sitting on _that bench_, "I think… I think we really hurt her."

Ino looked away. "It was practically an accident. It didn't mean anything. I don't understand why Forehead is getting all emotional."

"Ino…" He stared at her.

"It was just a stupid kiss. Jeez. It's not like we slept together or anything."

"Ino, just stop," Naruto commanded. "You and I both know it isn't about that."

Ino turned her head sharply and glared at him. "Oh _yeah_, Naruto?"

"Will you just **stop? **Your little tough girl act isn't what either of us needs right now. I honestly think… I think we broke her, Ino."

Ino laughed bitterly. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Naruto, Forehead's a big girl. We didn't break her. We couldn't if we tried."

"Ino…"

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Naruto sighed. "You really have to stop, if you're planning on talking to Sakura."

"You know what, Naruto? Maybe this is the only way I'll be able to get through this. Ever think of that? Maybe… maybe I feel guilty." She paused. "This is all my freakin' fault, you know? I've just about lost my best friend." Ino choked up a little. "Again."

"Trust me, I know this feeling. But you know what, Ino? You're only going to feel worse if you don't try to save your friendship. So… go talk to her. Apologize. At this point, that's all you can really do."

Ino wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that." She turned and started to head towards _that bench_, then paused. "Thank you for putting up with me, Naruto."

Naruto managed a smile. "No problem, Ino."

* * *

Nobody understood.

Nobody understood why she was so upset, so sad, so **miserable**. _Sakura Haruno?, _they asked in disbelief. _Depressed?_ Nobody understood that aching feeling she had, that feeling that made her sob uncontrollably when she even thought about what had happened. Nobody understood how **the **Sakura Haruno had been reduced to sitting on the same bench all day crying. But really, it was simple.

Sakura Haruno had been betrayed.

* * *

"Forehead?"

Nothing. Not even a blink in Ino's direction.

"…Sakura?"

A page turned. Sakura still refused to acknowledge Ino's presence.

"I'm… I'm sorry, alright? It was an accident—sort of. I mean… it's not like it meant anything…"

"Why did you do it?"

Ino was startled; she had not expected an actual response. She had not expected this question. "What?"

"I want to know why you did it. Why you decided to… to…" Sakura struggled for the right words.

"I didn't think you'd ask that. I didn't think you cared about the _why_, more so the _what_."

"You're avoiding the subject, Ino."

Ino looked away for the second time that day. "It must have been something in the air."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "That's crap, and you know it." She sighed. "I don't know what I was expecting you to say. I wouldn't believe what you said anyway."

At this, Ino glared. "You know what, Forehead? I came all the way over here to freakin' apologize, and you're being a witch about it. So when _you're _ready to apologize to _me_, you know where to find me."

And with those final words, Ino gave up on their friendship.

* * *

Sai understood.

He liked to keep things simple—he had spent years trying to figure out basic human emotions and interactions and finally, _finally _one day he'd understood—and that's probably why he was the only one who realized why Sakura was so upset. It wasn't really about Naruto or Ino or anyone else, really. It was just about the simplest thing in the world. Anyone who knew Sakura's history should've immediately known what was **really **wrong.

Obviously, Sakura Haruno did not take betrayal well.

* * *

"It's happened before, hasn't it?" the dark-haired boy asked her. "You've been betrayed before?"

She laughed bitterly. "How'd you know?"

"I already knew about Sasuke, and what he did. As soon as I found out about Naruto and Ino… I realized you would be here, probably thinking about everything. Musing about betrayal." He paused. "You probably never thought they would betray you." It was not a question; it was a fact.

She nodded sadly. "Sasuke, I could sort of understand. He was Sasuke. He had never made me any promises. He had never said he loved me. He was just… Sasuke. But Naruto and Ino… Naruto, he…" Sakura started crying. "He said he loved me, Sai. He said I was the girl of his dreams. So why…?"

Sai sat down on the bench next to her. "You know, Ugly, people don't make sense." Sai stared up at the sky as clouds slowly moved. "It took me years of researching and asking questions and getting experience but in the end… People just don't make sense."

"You're right. Oh _god_, you're right." Sakura turned towards Sai. "I think… I think it was just the betrayal part. They were the two people I thought would never betray me and then…"

"I understand."

Sakura blinked once. _He understands, _she thought as she leaned towards him, her lips inching closer towards his.

As Sakura kissed Sai, she thought about what she was doing. She thought about how if she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was kissing the guy that had betrayed her all those years; she thought about how _right this second_, she was betraying Naruto **and** Ino. Naruto by breaking his heart, just as he had broken hers; Ino by kissing the guy _she _loved, just as she had to her.

And above all else, she was thinking about how betrayal left a mark on one's heart—a mark that was never, _ever_ erased, even though you wished it would just disappear. It was a mark that you never knew existed, until you were betrayed again.

**

* * *

**

If you have a question or comment, please REVIEW! I'll try to get back to you.

**Constructive**** criticism is appreciated. Thanks for reading!**

'**till next time,**

**LittleMissHippie**


	2. a disappearance

**Disappearance **_by LittleMissHippie_

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto._

_A/N: Sorry to everyone who got an e-mail saying there was a new chapter! I accidentally took this chapter down, so the "new chapter" is actually this one. I hope nobody's too disappointed._

* * *

Sakura Haruno was tired.

She was tired of Naruto apologizing, she was tired of Sai asking her why, she was tired of Ino glaring at her when she thought she wasn't looking, and she was tired of the entire village staring at her with pity. _Avoiding everyone, _she realized, _is the only option I really have. _

So, Sakura Haruno disappeared.

* * *

This situation—Ino looking for Sakura and nobody knowing where she was—was terribly familiar. Maybe that was why, when Ino saw Naruto, she felt hope flutter in her chest.

"Naruto-baka, have you seen Sakura?"

His eyes… she would never forget his _eyes_. She hadn't noticed until this moment but the hope was gone from his eyes. She almost did a double take. _Naruto Uzumaki? No hope?,_ she thought. _We have really hit rock bottom. _

"She's gone, Ino-chan. I've been looking and looking but… she's _gone._" The poor boy looked like he was about to cry. "Nobody's seen her for over forty-eight hours. I thought maybe she was just avoiding me… I thought she was still in the village…" He started crying. Ino had to look away; the sight of this particular boy crying was too much.

"She couldn't have just disappeared. We're a village full of ninja, for crying out loud. Someone must know where she is…" She was trying to grasp at strings that weren't there and they both knew it.

"No one knows where she is, Ino. You don't understand! You just don't _understand_. Sakura-chan… Sakura-chan… She's gone. It's all my fault, Ino. It's all my fault…" He was sobbing now. Dialogue was impossible.

"It's going to be okay, Naruto. Everything is going to be fine, okay?" Ino tried to use her words to comfort him, but they were having no effect. She moved closer to him and pulled him into an awkward hug. She murmured words of encouragement; she murmured promises she wasn't sure she could fulfill.

The reason Ino tried to cheer Naruto up had nothing to do with Sakura—not really. No, Ino was trying to give Naruto something he'd lost. Because without Naruto's famous hope, she wasn't sure they could do anything at all.

* * *

Sai was not going to stop looking for her.

He realized she had been avoiding him—after all, he wasn't stupid. He also realized he was not the only person being avoided. Ino, Naruto, _everyone in the entire village_—they were being avoided as well. However, that wasn't enough to stop the artist. He wanted to know exactly **why **she was avoiding everyone. So, he was going to find her… and he wouldn't stop until he did. He couldn't just let her go… Sakura Haruno had taught him a lesson no one else had.

Sakura Haruno had taught him how to care.

* * *

It was a few days after Sakura was declared missing when he found The Note.

It was in an envelope with the words _To Whom It May Concern _written on it. A joke—that's what it was. To whom it _may _concern? _Sakura, _Sai thought to himself, _you are the concern of the entire village. _

"Sai-kun," Ino shouted from another room in Sakura's apartment. "Have you found anything?"

"No, Pig!" he replied. _I will read her letter first. Then, I will tell the others._

He opened the envelope, preparing himself for the worst. Maybe it was suicide note, and she had gone to kill herself outside of Konoha. Maybe it was a simple list, and she had written down the names of everyone she hated and his name would be at the very top, right above Naruto and Ino.

The envelope, the folded up paper… it contained a single word.

_Goodbye._

* * *

When Sai finally decided to enlighten Ino and Naruto about the real reason Sakura had been so hurt, he wasn't trying to help _them_ understand.

No, _Sai_ wanted to understand.

Sai hoped Naruto and Ino could supply him with the information he needed—the information only the two people who knew Sakura best would have. He wanted this information so he could _understand _Sakura—why she had left, where she might have gone, anything that would help him.

_I think, _he realized, _I'm starting to care a little too much. _

* * *

As Naruto listened to Sai's explanation, he wondered if he had missed something. _Would I have been able to tell, _he wondered, _if I had paid a little more attention?_

It had never been about Ino or what they had done. It had never been about him at all. In the end, it all went back to what _he _had done, all those years ago.

In the end, it all went back to Sasuke.

"It figures," Naruto muttered angrily. "After all, it's all about Sasuke, isn't it?"

"Well, you didn't _really _think this was about you, did you?" the forever-smiling male replied.

Naruto turned to face the pale-faced artist. "Leave me alone, Sai."

Sai chuckled. "You did think this was about you, didn't you? You _poor, _**misguided **soul." He was having way too much fun taunting this boy—and really, it wasn't Naruto's fault Sakura's world didn't revolve around him.

"Excuse me for thinking for a _minute _that I had the ability to affect my girlfriend—"

"—ex-girlfriend," Sai interrupted.

"You won't let me forget for a minute, will you?" Naruto growled. "Well, anyway, I don't know what I was thinking. It's _always _about _teme_. And I had actually thought…"

"It's not your fault."

When Naruto looked at him like he was crazy, Sai decided it was time to change the subject.

"Anyway," he started, "now that I've helped _you _understand, I'd like a little help understanding as well." Naruto looked confused, so he continued. "Why do you think Sakura left?"

Naruto laughed in his face.

"Are you _really _that socially challenged?" he asked mockingly. Now it was his turn to taunt. "_Obviously _Sakura-chan got was overwhelmed. So she bailed." This explanation—so simple, so sensible… Sai just couldn't understand. "Really, Sai, people do that sort of thing all the time."

Sai stared at him.

"Yes, people do," he eventually responded. "But not Sakura. Sakura wouldn't—"

Naruto cut him off before he could finish. "Sakura did."

"If Sakura-chan was overwhelmed…" Sai murmured. "She wouldn't have just _left_…"

"But that's the thing," Naruto responded calmly. It was weird, how calm he was in this particular situation. "She _was_ overwhelmed. Put yourself in her situation. People bugging you _all the time. _No one will let you forget that _you've been betrayed by those closest to you. _You just want to be _left alone. _What do you do?"

He processed everything the blonde had just said. It made sense, in a way. _Why didn't that occur to me?_, he wondered. _It's so incredibly simple. _"You leave," he answered.

Naruto nodded in response. "**Exactly.**"

"…and then your friends find you," he continued before turning around. "Because that's what friends do, correct?" He started walking away. "They find you."

Naruto watched Sai as he walked away.

_Who is that guy, _he wondered, _and what has he done with Sai? _

* * *

Ino was reflecting.

It wasn't often that she was ditched—after all, who would willingly leave Ino? But it happened. And really, she didn't care _that _much. Those people that left her didn't matter. Obviously if they left, they couldn't be that important. But there was one person who mattered so _very, very much _to Ino… and she'd left her. Again. She'd left her behind—or rather, in the dust—when she'd began her intense training with Tsunade, she'd left her behind when they'd both liked Sasuke, and now she'd done it again.

_Sakura, _a voice in the back of her mind called, _please, please, please stop leaving me._

* * *

She saw Sai in the most unlikely of places—a bench.

_That _bench.

"Sai-kun," she said slowly. "What are you doing here?" This particular bench wasn't exactly a really popular spot in Konoha. Really, it was the opposite. **No one **ever came here. _Except for Sakura, _she reminded herself. _She always came here to think. _

Sai stared at her. She started shifting nervously under his gaze. _He's looking at me like he thinks I don't belong here, _she realized. _Why? _

"I'm thinking," he finally responded. "Where did Sakura-chan go?"

She realized she had Sakura's goodbye note in his hand. It looked like it had been folded up and then unfolded and then folded back up and unfolded again numerous times. She directed her gaze towards his eyes and what she found was slightly surprising.

There was so much _care_ in his eyes. It was so unexpected—_why would he care about Sakura so much, _she wondered—and yet… It made a strange sort of sense. _All the signs are there, _she realized. _The care in his eyes, the way he's been leading the Sakura search effort, and even the way he says her name… _

And maybe he didn't **love** Sakura—it didn't matter. Because it was **obvious **that he liked Sakura _very_ much… he liked _her _infinitely more than he'd ever like Ino.

Her heart was breaking with this realization, just as Sakura's probably had. _He may not love Sakura, but it doesn't matter… because he still picked her over me. _Words were swirling in her head—_picked her picked her picked her_—and she just stood there.

She finally realized why her half-hearted apology hadn't had any effect on Sakura. _Apologies can only fix so much, _she thought. _And this is something they just can't fix._

Ino started laughing. It was a slow-building, crazy laugh. Sai looked at her like she was insane. "What's so funny?" he asked, and she only laughed harder.

"Karma," she finally managed to say through her laughs, "is a bitch."

**

* * *

**

Thanks for reading! I honestly don't know if you'll see another part to this story or not. The first chapter had a more Sakura-centric focus, and I'd like to think this chapter had a more Sai-centric focus… so maybe I'll write something focused on Ino next? There's definitely room for expansion…

**Anyway, please review! **

**Ja ne!, **

**LMH**


	3. a fixation

**Fixation **_by LittleMissHippie_

Disclaimer: I don't own _Naruto._

* * *

Ino Yamanaka was obsessed.

She wanted—no, she **needed **Sakura to be back. She craved her return; she craved the normalcy that would only return when Sakura herself gave it. Every morning, Ino would wake up with one thought constantly repeating itself: _Sakura, please come back. I miss you. _But in reality, it wasn't really Sakura's homecoming that Ino sought.

Really, she just wanted her forgiveness.

* * *

"Naruto-baka," a female voice called out. "Are you ready?"

The blond-haired boy didn't bother looking up. He continued to sit on The Bench, as if caught in deep thought.

"_Naruto!_" yelled Ino. "Are you listening to me?" She stomped up to The Bench, her obvious irritation showing through her actions. "Stop sitting around. It's time to do something." She paused, her eyes focusing on the blond. "We _have _to do something," she murmured, her desperation showing for a moment; it was almost as if she was pleading with him.

Naruto sighed in response. He slowly raised his head, making eye contact with Ino. "Ino-chan," he said, as if he were preparing to break bad news—in this case, **reality**—to a small child. "What are we supposed to do?"

The question itself was rhetorical, but Ino was not going to give up easily. "We're supposed to find her," she stated. "_Duh._" She rolled her eyes before extending a hand to Naruto. "And _you're _supposed to help me."

Naruto stared at her hand before averting his gaze. "I already told you everything I know, Ino-chan," he muttered. "She got fed up with us. So she left—"

"I know she left! But we have to find her—" interrupted Ino.

"—and I _know _you just want to impress Sai," spat Naruto. He paused, glaring at the ground for a few moments. Ino was too stunned to continue arguing. _Does he really think this is just about impressing Sai?, _she wondered.

_But what if it is? What if I'm just being selfish? This should be about Sakura, but what if it's not—?_

"But eventually we have to face the facts, Ino," continued Naruto, in a much softer tone. She winced at the lack of the characteristic –chan. "How are we supposed to find Sakura-chan? We have no idea where she would have wanted to go!" He closed his eyes and sighed again, the very image of defeat.

There was silence for a few minutes, as they both simply contemplated where she could have gone; they were both so deep in thought that neither of them noticed the third person who had joined their group and—to the complete ignorance of both blondes—listened to their entire conversation.

"What if she wasn't just trying to get away from everything?" asked the stranger. "Maybe there was… another reason."

Ino and Naruto simultaneously turned to face the new person who had joined their conversation—Sai.

Naruto glared at him for a moment, before turning away again. "I already _told _you—" he began angrily.

"What other reason could it have been, Sai-kun?" asked Ino quietly. She paused, before her eyes widened. "Do you know something?" she asked desperately. "You need to tell us. We need to **find **her!"

He ignored the female blonde. "I think," he began cautiously. "It had something to do with… _him._" He stared down Naruto, hoping he would understand; hoping that maybe he would know what to do—

Naruto cursed loudly. "_Of course. _It was always about him, wasn't it?"

Ino looked in confusion from one boy to another. "I don't understand. Do you guys know where she is—?"

Naruto stood up from The Bench, finally ready to take action. "Let's go, Sai. It's time to bring Sakura back home." And with that, the two boys began to head towards the Village gates, their destination still unknown to their female companion. But it didn't matter that she had no idea where they were headed—she was just happy that she'd finally get another chance at forgiveness.

_Sakura, _she thought. _Get ready._

* * *

Sakura Haruno was so, unbelievably fed up with her so-called _friends_.

Friends were supposed to stand by you. They were supposed to help you, and protect you, and never let you down. So **why **did she keep getting betrayed by those closest to her? The reason continued to elude her. Ino had been unable to supply a reason, when Sakura had questioned her. Naruto was no help in the matter—he had been unable to put words to the reason as well. When it came down to it, the reality of the situation was painfully simple.

After all, didn't it make sense that the answer to her problems would be at the original source?

* * *

"Sasuke," she murmured.

The black-haired boy tensed up in front of her, activating his Sharingan and preparing for a potential attack. In another world, she might have smiled; she may have even laughed. She did neither. "We need to talk."

He didn't face her. "How did you find me?" asked Sasuke calmly.

She brushed his question off as if it didn't matter. "I have my ways," she answered vaguely. She didn't pause before she continued, "But I have something I need to ask you."

Slowly, he turned. She remembered to avert her eyes, considering she had no idea what effect his Sharingan would have on her. _I can't afford to underestimate him, _she reminded herself. _I'm just here for answers. _

"I'm not going back to Konoha," he stated. He took advantage of the fact that she wasn't looking at him in order to scan her for anything that could be dangerous to him. He found nothing.

She narrowed her eyes, fighting the urge to glare at him. "I'm not here to take you back to _Konoha,_" she spat. She paused, allowing herself to calm down. After sighing, she continued, "I'm here for **answers**. Answers that only you have."

He continued to stare at her. _She's telling the truth, _he realized. _But what question would be important enough for her to track me down without intent to take me back…?_ Sasuke remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I know you needed to avenge your family," started Sakura, her voice monotonous. "And…" She almost choked on his name. "_Orochimaru _was supposed to make you stronger." She paused, before continuing. "So that's why you left, right? Because you **needed **to; because you had no choice."

_It's almost as if she's trying to rationalize it to herself, _thought Sasuke. _What exactly does she expect me to say? _

"But you _did _have a choice," she almost whispered, her voice now betraying the emotional turmoil behind her words. "You could've stayed with us. We could have **helped **you. Dammit, Sasuke, we were a _team!_" By the end of her statement, her composure was gone. Her eyes were squeezed shut, as if she was still trying to hold back her emotions.

The dark-haired boy watched her in silence.

After moments, she opened her eyes; her breathing was returning back to normal. She allowed herself to turn towards Sasuke, her eyes finally locking with his—at some point, he had decided his Sharingan was not worth it; not for this girl, this girl who did not intend to hurt him—and her mouth opened to finally ask him her question.

"Why did you… **betray **us?" asked Sakura.

_Why did you betray me?_

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki wanted to be enough.

He was constantly trying to improve himself; he was always training and training and training, but he was _never enough. _He put so much effort into everything he did, and sometimes it paid off—Sakura was his girlfriend, he was a successful ninja, he was **happy. **But then… he would do something to screw everything up. He would never be perfect—not like him. And the fact alone was enough to frustrate Naruto beyond belief.

He would never compare to Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

When Sakura had finished her conversation with Sasuke, she dutifully returned to Konoha. She found a trio of ninjas waiting for her at the entrance—Naruto, Ino, and Sai; as expected—and continued walking past them.

She wasn't in the mood to deal with people.

Her conversation with Sasuke had left her a lot angrier than expected—_I hate them I hate them I hate them_—and she knew she should deal with it before she confronted anyone; if she ever confronted anyone.

Naruto wasn't going to be blown off so easily.

"Sakura-chan!" called the blond-haired boy. "What happened?" He chased after her, Ino following not far behind. Sai remained in place, trying to figure out what exactly was off about the pink-haired girl.

Sakura stopped walking, staying in place without turning around to face the two blondes. "You really want to know what happened?" asked Sakura, a quiet anger present in her voice.

_Why is she so angry? _Sai wondered. Completely oblivious to Sakura's anger, Ino and Naruto simply nodded.

"Sasuke and I had a little conversation, and he was nice enough to _clarify _something for me," spat Sakura. "Which is more than either of **you **bothered to do. But everything makes sense now," continued Sakura. "Sasuke helped me understand—ironic, isn't it? The guy who caused all my trust issues in the first place is the only person I can trust enough to tell me the _truth_."

Naruto and Ino stared at the pink-haired girl, completely confused.

"It all comes down to human nature," she finally said. "You were both just pre-programmed to be **selfish** _jerks_." Before they could ponder what she met by selfish, she continued. "Ino, you've always been focused on your self; you definitely value yourself more than you've ever valued our friendship. Why else would you try to _steal my boyfriend?_"

Ino was stunned into silence, unable to respond. _Because it's true, _she realized. _You've always wanted to be better than Sakura._

"And Naruto," continued Sakura. "Dating me was just part of being better than Sasuke, right? He never got me—not really—so when you finally did… you were finally better. But that didn't even last, did it?"

She glared at both of them, feeling angrier than she'd ever felt in her entire life. And then, before she could yell at them further, she turned around and stormed off.

"Maybe it's best if we leave her alone for now," supposed Sai—and the two blondes simply nodded their agreement.

_Sakura is beyond repair._

* * *

Sai wanted to fix her.

She didn't deserve the things that happened to her—an awful first love, a rival for a best friend, or a disappointing second love. Sakura had done nothing to deserve betrayal; she was broken, and it was all _their _ deserved to be happy, and he wanted to make her happy. He vowed to make her smile again, and laugh, and return her back to normal. And he would keep trying, until he succeeded.

Therefore, Sai vowed to stay by her side; no matter what.

* * *

Even after all of the events that had happened, she was still at The Bench. Sai almost smiled—_some things never change_—but thought better of it. He focused his attention on the task at hand. He quietly walked towards her, before sitting down next to her.

He glanced at her before speaking. "Welcome back, Sakura-san."

She didn't bother ignoring him; she wanted to take out her pent up anger on him—yell, scream, hit him, _something_—but she couldn't find the energy to do so. And really, it wasn't his fault. Not really.

"It's not good to be back," she said without humor. She tried to think of something that fit her current feelings, but nothing seemed right. "It kind of sucks, actually," she continued honestly.

Sai redirected his gaze from the ground to the pink-haired girl beside him. _If I want to help her, _he thought, _I need to ask questions. _"What's wrong?" asked Sai.

She didn't meet his gaze. "It's just…" She struggled for words. "I wondered for _years _why Sasuke did what he did, you know?" She paused, although the question was rhetorical. "And then after Naruto and Ino did what they did, I just needed to know even more." She sighed, and Sai found himself nodding along with her. "But when I found out, it was so… **simple. **The entire time, they were all just being _selfish._" She spat out the last word, her voice clearly showing her feelings of distaste for the word. "I just don't know if I want to keep trying," finished Sakura. "Especially if everyone's like that too."

He felt so bad for the girl next to him; she'd been through so much, and it just wasn't _fair. _As they sat in silence, he struggled to think of something that would help her feel better—**anything. **Finally, he decided to attempt using his words to ease the situation.

"Sakura," he began. Startled by the disturbance of the silence, she turned herself to face him. "I'm sorry. You make me wish I could change the past," admitted the boy. "But I can't. However…" He paused, searching for the right words. "I can try to change the future."

She looked at him in confusion. "I don't think I understand," she admitted.

"I… I want to be here for you," he admitted. "And I want to prove that not everyone is like them—Naruto, Ino, Sasuke. Sometimes… people can be selfless, too." She didn't look convinced, so he continued. "I want you to be happy, Sakura-san. And if I can do that by being your friend, then I will be your friend. You deserve a better life than the one you've been given; since I can't change the past, I want your present—and your future—to be the best they possibly can."

Sakura stared at him, completely speechless. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face.

_Maybe Sasuke was wrong. Maybe not everyone had to be selfish—maybe, some people are just born special. _

She found herself leaning forward, moving closer to the boy next to her. He sat frozen, not quite believing what was happening in front of him. And this time, when her lips reached his cheek, she was only thinking about one dark-haired boy.

"Thank you, Sai."

* * *

**Thank you for reading! **

**I am so sorry for taking an unexpected hiatus! I tried to use this to kind of… warm myself back up, so to speak. So I also apologize for being really rusty. I think this story is pretty much finished, so I'll probably move on to The List Redux to finish that up before I start any new stuff. **

**Please review! Reviews make my day. Seriously.**

**Sorry again!,**

**LMH**

**PS: Definitely wrote this at like 1AM, so feel free to point out any mistakes! **


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